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The Canadian National Railway Co. saved the Canadian Women's Open but surprisingly chose Montreal -- not London -- to hold yesterday's news conference to announce the deal.

The championship will be played in London at the Hunt Club next Aug. 10-13.

Hunt Club director Doug Alexander, who will be co-chairperson of the tournament along with another yet-to-be-named co-chairperson, said he wasn't troubled by the Royal Canadian Golf Association's decision to officially announce the awarding of the tournament and new sponsor at CN offices in Montreal.

"It's their announcement and their commitment to golf and that's what's important," Alexander said. "It's a multi-year announcement as far as I know and from that perspective, I think it is appropriate.

"We'll do something next week."

The RCGA spent many months trying to line up a successor to the Bank of Montreal until CN entered the picture.

RCGA chief operating officer Rick Desrochers hasn't disclosed financial details but said the new sponsorship is "definitely in the ball park" of the old one with BMO.

Officials have said it costs $2.5 million to $3 million a year to stage the tournament.

Craig Revell loses battle

Kingston golfer Craig Revell, who came to Redtail Golf Course this summer to watch his brother Brad compete in the Ontario Amateur, died Sept. 24 from bone cancer.

Revell was just 20 and battled the disease for 19 months.

"He never gave up, not in golf, not in life, not in illness," Brad told the Kingston Whig Standard. "He was an incredible inspiration to me."

Revell was so popular that when word of his deteriorating health spread around Kingston, more than $22,000 was raised in 72 hours to send the family to the Masters in Augusta, Ga., last April.

Mini tour results

Dave Bell of Windsor and Don Allman of Brantford finished tied for first in the points standings on this year's Senior Mini Tour for area pros. Ken Girard won the B division and Jack Pullen and George Loughlean tied at the top of the C division

Dave Schewyer of Thames Valley, Tom Foster of Sarnia, Brad Nelson of London and Dave McKinlay of Sarnia Huron Oaks all shot 71s last week at Oakwood Inn Resort and Golf in Grand Bend in the final round of the mini tour for the area's assistant pros. Schweyer won in a playoff to win the tournament and the mini-tour for the sixth straight year.

Meanwhile, Jerry Anderson of Ingersoll edged Schweyer for first place in the final standings on the Southwestern Ontario Mini Tour for pros. Anderson had 195.5 points to Schweyer's 194.5.

Great Lakes

Derrick Gillespie of Oshawa won the Great Lakes Tour Championship at Brantford Golf and Country Club this month, shooting 68-69. His name will go on the Moe Norman Trophy awarded to the winner of the event reserved for the tour's top 30 money winners. Garett Jenkinson of London tied for ninth with scores of 72-71, while Joe Rinker of London shot 73-71 to finish tied for 11th.

The tour's awards banquet was also staged at the tournament. Martin Price of Collingwood received three awards. With three victories this year, Price became the tour's first 10-time champion and the first player to top $50,000 in career earnings. He was named player of the year, won the order of merit for most money earned at $18,524 and won honours for the best scoring average of 70.6 in 23 rounds played.